Savoy Hotel 217 (German: Savoy-Hotel 217) is a 1936 German mystery drama film directed by Gustav Ucicky and starring Hans Albers, Brigitte Horney and Alexander Engel.[1] It was shot at the Babelsberg Studios in Potsdam.[2] The film's sets were designed by the art directors Robert Herlth and Walter Röhrig. The costumes were by Herbert Ploberger. It premiered at Berlin's UFA-Palast am Zoo.

Savoy Hotel 217
Directed byGustav Ucicky
Written byGerhard Menzel
Produced byFritz Podehl
Starring
CinematographyFritz Arno Wagner
Edited byEduard von Borsody
Music byWalter Gronostay
Production
company
Distributed byUFA
Release date
  • 7 April 1936 (1936-04-07)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryGermany
LanguageGerman

Synopsis

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In Tsarist Russia before the First World War, a couple arrive at a luxury hotel where the husband is murdered. A number of people fall under suspicion, including the head waiter. He undertakes an investigation to find the real culprit.

Cast

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Reception

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Writing for The Spectator in 1936, Graham Greene gave the film a positive review, characterizing it as an "agreeably [...] slow, good-humoured murder-story". Praising Engel's acting as particularly vivid, Greene summarized the film, claiming: "melodramatic passions are given a pleasantly realistic setting by a very competent director and a first-class cameraman".[3]

References

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  1. ^ Bock & Bergfelder p.217
  2. ^ Klaus p.176
  3. ^ Greene, Graham (9 October 1036). "The Texas Rangers/Savoy Hotel 217/The King Steps Out". The Spectator. (reprinted in: Taylor, John Russell, ed. (1980). The Pleasure Dome. pp. 107-108. ISBN 0192812866.)

Bibliography

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  • Bock, Hans-Michael & Bergfelder, Tim. The Concise CineGraph. Encyclopedia of German Cinema. Berghahn Books, 2009.
  • Klaus, Ulrich J. Deutsche Tonfilme: Jahrgang 1936. Klaus-Archiv, 1988.
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